Understanding Particle Systems

Particle systems in Motion are made up of two primary components: an emitter and one or more cells (Figure 11.1). The emitter is the source from which all the cells emanate—like water from a fountain, arrows from a bow, or bullets from a gun. You adjust the parameters of the emitter to determine the number of cells and the direction they travel; you adjust the cell parameters to determine their characteristics, like their size, speed, and orientation.

Figure 11.1. A particle system contains an emitter and one or more cells. In this example, an Oscillate behavior has been applied to the emitter and the Scale Over Life particle behavior has been applied to the cell. Notice that the original source object for the cell is inactive—it’s visibility check box is unchecked.